In the quiet community of Quitman, Arkansas, Janette Bivens, a beloved 71-year-old woman, was tragically killed on Monday, January 2, 2017. Her life was cut short by a violent act that also left her husband injured. On that Monday afternoon, the Faulkner County Sheriff's office received a report of a shooting and responded to the scene. There, in the front yard of her home, deputies discovered Mrs. Bivens, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Her 73-year-old husband was also found at the residence with a gunshot wound to his arm.
The suspect in this devastating incident was identified as their son, 47-year-old Douglas Bivens, who was present at the location and was taken into custody by the authorities. While a motive for the shooting was not immediately released, the apprehension of Douglas Bivens brought a swift, yet somber, development to the investigation. The community was left to grapple with the shocking nature of the crime, a son accused of killing his mother and wounding his father.
Janette Bivens was remembered as a woman deeply rooted in her community and devoted to her family. Born in Faulkner County on December 31, 1945, she was a lifetime member of the New Home Missionary Baptist Church. For 28 years, she was a familiar and friendly face to countless children as a school bus driver and cafeteria director at Guy Perkins School. Her interests included painting, hunting, fishing, and camping, but her greatest joy was her family. She was a loving wife of 53 years to her husband, Don, and a cherished mother and grandmother. Her passing left a void in the lives of her surviving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
